This is the blog of the online CRBR, a forum for people who work on Belgian refugees during WW1 (UK, FR, NL...) and for people who want to share their personal history.

Friday, 6 September 2013

Belgian refugees and West Kent

A nice online piece on Belgian refugees in Kent during the First World War, with the invaluable Women's Library as its source.

"Over a million Belgians fled from the threat of the German armies during
the early days of the war, amounting to almost one-sixth of the
country’s population. Initially, most were received in Holland, France
and Britain. In September 1914 Herbert Samuel, the President of the
Local Government Board, announced to the House of Commons that the
British Government had offered hospitality to the victims of the war and
that arrangements were in place for their transport and accommodation.
The War Refugees Committee, a voluntary body, arranged for them to be
met at ports and stations, found temporary hostels for them and tried
also to secure work for them. The arrival in Britain of some 250,000
Belgian refugees constitutes the largest refugee movement in British
history."
[...]